East Coast Music Awards Recap

From May 2nd-6th, we hung out in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the East Coast Music Awards. The ECMA Festival and Conference is now a five-day, non-stop musical celebration showcasing and recognizing the best of East Coast artists and music. The internationally recognized event gathers Canadian musicians from the East Coast, music industry professionals, and music fans to learn from the industry's most respected players and watch some of the country's brightest rising stars. This year, we presented the award for Electronic Recording of the Year, and had the chance to interview the five incredible nominees and watch them perform during…

How I used a Roland TR-8 and Effectors as Drums – Robbie Grunwald

Contributed by Canadian musician Robbie Grunwald for Roland Canada This past summer my band DoubleTooth was asked to be a part of the Dusk Dances festival (Aug 1 – 7, 2016). This festival has been going on for over 20 years; it takes place in parks in cities around Canada every summer and involves 4…

AE-10 Aerophone Demo and Sound Examples

In the studio and on stage, your trusty acoustic sax is always by your side. But if you work across a range of musical genres, imagine how useful it would be to own a single wind instrument that delivers every sound that’s required. The Roland Aerophone AE-10 is a trailblazing digital wind instrument that fuses…

The first person in Canada to purchase the Aerophone!

Peter Cieslikowski, Toronto-based saxophonist, was the first person in Canada to purchase the Aerophone AE-10 – the all new digital wind instrument from Roland. We sat down with Peter to get his first impressions of the Aerophone. Hi Peter – tell us a little bit about yourself and your background as a saxophonist. I am a professional…

BOSS Tuners: A Lesson in Fine-Tuning

If you’re a musician, and have been around for a while, chances are you’ve seen or owned a BOSS Tuner. Maybe you’ve come across one of their pocket tuners or perhaps you’re that guitarist who starts its effects chain with one of their classic white stompboxes (which might even be the most important piece of…

INSIDE A GUITAR AMPLIFIER – PART. 2

In our previous article (see Inside a Guitar Amplifier Part 1), we learnt that guitar amplifiers, no matter how complex, consist of three parts. These are the preamp, a power amp and a speaker. While this basic design holds true for all guitar amplifiers since their origin, a number of key design innovations have…

INSIDE A GUITAR AMPLIFIER – PART. 1

Guitar amplifiers are unique in the world of music. Generally, an electronic audio amplifier will be a device that makes a source signal louder. Electric guitar amplifiers however, are capable of so much more. Guitar amplifiers imprint their own sonic signatures onto a player’s sound and significantly alter the way that the guitar actually feels…

ROLAND DRUM MACHINE HISTORY: 1964 – 2016

In 1960, Ikutaro Kakehashi founded the company Ace Electronic Industries, Inc. At the time, Kakehashi was a young inventor with a passion for electronics, experimentation and music. Over the years, he tried his hand at creating various electronic instruments – from organs and guitar amplifiers, to the Theremin and the Ondes Martenot. However, it wasn’t…

Ultimate Guide: AIRA TR-8 Rhythm Performer

The AIRA TR-8 is the next step in the evolution of Roland TR- drum machines. This ultimate guide has everything you need to know about the TR-8! Unleashed upon an unsuspecting world in the 1980s, the TR-808 and TR-909 produce arguably the most influential drum sounds in modern music. Not only have they appeared on…

GUITAR FX-101: GUIDE TO GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS

Do you know your Flangers from your Phasers? How about the difference between a Vibrato and a Tremolo? This FX-101 is a resource that categorises and explains common guitar effects to find the tone you need. Contributed by David Jiang for the Roland Australia Blog A – ACOUSTIC SIMULATOR C – CHORUS, COMPRESSION/SUSTAIN D –…

Hybrid Drumming: Everything You Need to Know

New Wave, synthpop, hip-hop, house, electro, pop… The late ’70s and early ’80s produced swathes of classic music. Music technology, recording processes, the microchip and the synth all gave rise to new music – and new ways of approaching it. However, it was also an unnerving time for drummers, as while the acoustic drum kit…